Leaders Bath inflicted a record Gallagher Premiership defeat on 14-man Saracens as they romped to a 68-10 victory at the Recreation Ground.
Bath had a bonus point secured before half-time, such was their dominance of an opening 40 minutes that saw Saracens flanker Toby Knight sent off and full-back Liam Williams yellow-carded, while flanker Theo McFarland and wing Tobias Elliott suffered game-ending injuries.
Knight was dismissed in the 14th minute following direct head contact in a challenge on Bath centre Ollie Lawrence, and Saracens had a mountain to climb after that.
They ended the afternoon reeling from the worst reversal in their Premiership history, surpassing a 65-10 loss to Exeter in October 2023.
Bath gained an early penalty try before prop Thomas du Toit, centre Cameron Redpath and wing Will Muir touched down before the interval, while Finn Russell kicked three conversions.
Joe Cokanasiga (2), Lawrence and Sam Underhill added second-half touchdowns, as Muir completed a hat-trick, with Russell booting five more conversions, and Saracens had no answer apart from Kapeli Pifeleti’s late try, plus a Fergus Burke penalty and conversion.
It was a day to forget for the visitors, who could not recover from the red card and injury setbacks as Bath ran riot, moving five points clear at the Premiership summit and once again underlining their status as major title contenders.
The game began in lively fashion, with Bath awarded a penalty try by referee Karl Dickson after just five minutes.
Russell’s cross-kick aimed for Cokanasiga was illegally flicked away from his grasp by Williams behind the line, meaning a yellow card for the Wales international and the visitors falling seven points behind.
Saracens also saw McFarland and Elliott go off injured during a frantic opening, then number eight Ben Earl had a try disallowed following a forward pass by scrum-half Gareth Simpson.
And just when Saracens might have thought things could not get any worse, Knight was dismissed before Bath flanker Ted Hill smashed through their defence and Du Toit powered over for a try that Russell converted.
A Burke penalty opened Saracens‘ account after 20 minutes, yet Bath stormed back on to the attack and claimed a third touchdown when Redpath crashed over after collecting skipper Ben Spencer’s pass. Russell converted, making it 21-3.
Bath strived to make their numerical advantage count, and a bonus-point try arrived three minutes before half-time.
Spencer made a sharp break from the base of a scrum, and his well-timed delivery allowed Muir an unopposed 25-metre run to the line.
Russell’s conversion made it 28-3 at the interval, with Saracens on a prolonged damage-limitation exercise after such a calamitous opening quarter.
Bath were in no mood to show mercy, and try number five arrived shortly after the break when Lawrence made a half-break and delivered a delicious one-handed pass to Cokanasiga, who scored easily.
Saracens lock Nick Isiekwe did not return for the second half because of injury, then Williams went off for a head injury assessment ahead of Muir collecting his second try, converted by Russell, as Bath hit 40 points.
They maintained a hunger for the Saracens line, and replacement Underhill was the next beneficiary, rounding off a sweeping move that had Muir and Miles Reid at its heart.
Russell’s fifth successful conversion took Bath within touching distance of a half-century, although Saracens at least gained a consolation when Pifeleti went over and Burke converted, before Lawrence’s try took Bath past 50.
Bath predictably had the final word when Cokanasiga pounced for his second try, before Muir completed his hat-trick, and Russell converted both to complete a ruthless demolition job.
Meanwhile, at Franklin’s Gardens, Trevor Davison scored two tries against his former club as Northampton Saints returned to form in the Gallagher Premiership with a 61-0 thumping at home to Newcastle.
The Saints had lost their last three league games, leaving them eighth in the table and desperately needing to start picking wins in order to make up ground on the teams above them.
And this was just the response the champions required as they look to retain the title they won back in June, with nine tries at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in what was their final match of a memorable 2024.
PA
